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The writing job

If you asked me this last year, I would have sounded so much more confident, but now, I’m not so sure.
I’m thinking of going freelance, oh the shock horror. My accounting friend tells me there are some perks to working for yourself, but when you’re just out of University ( and completing another degree) where do you start?

At University, they told you to build your portfolio, to build your contacts network, to get out there in the blogging world and make a name for yourself. When you’ve done as you’ve been advised and so much more, how much more “free” and “unpaid” work are you going to have to do to land a job? And it’s not like you’re asking for The Devil Wears Prada job, a writing job would be great.
Sure, there are hundreds ( perhaps thousands) other graduates who are doing the same thing you are; trying to figure out a way to “stand out from the crowd” to ” get their feet in” but how many are there, and how can we help one another?

Personally, I’ve done three years worth of “free work” and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I really am grateful to the publications whom published my work, but if so many others are getting paid for their time and efforts, why should I be singled out?
When you’re an intern, you know what’s required of you, when your work is getting published, wouldn’t that mean that you are good at what you do? So why, and I mean WHY is it this hard to land a writing job in Australia?
And another thought, I’ve seen so many internship offers overseas that actually pay their interns and I’m wondering what’s the difference here?
For example, if you intern with ELLE Magazine in the UK, their Journalism Interns are paid a wage because they are essentially doing training on the job, so why is it so different here; I ask again?

It’s all about knowing the right people, the right contacts, being at the right place at the right time.

So again, I ask you, have you been an intern and has it helped you find your dream job? How long did you have to work for “free” before you were offered a paid place with that company?